The WeCare Chair had an outstanding participation in the European Association of Palliative Care Congress held in Rotterdam last week. During the event, several activities were carried out in which the Chair was actively involved (1 chaired parallel session, 2 free communications, 6 poster communications).
One of the outstanding achievements was the receipt of the prestigious “Paper of the Year” award by the co-director of the Chair, Joaquim Julià Torras, granted by the renowned AW Journal of Palliative Medicine. You can find more details about this recognition by clicking here.
In addition, the director of the chair, Cristina Monforte Royo, participated in a parallel session where she addressed the topic of risk and protective factors in the wish to hasten death (WTHD). In her presentation, she highlighted the importance of identifying and addressing these factors to provide informed support to patients with advanced disease. Social isolation, depression, and spiritual distress were identified as risk factors, while social and spiritual support act as protective factors. The need to regularly assess patients for these factors and address them appropriately to reduce cases of WTHD was emphasized.
On the other hand, Denise Pergolizzi presented a talk on the importance of memory processes in promoting meaning in life (MiL) in older adults with dementia. Based on a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 49 studies, it was highlighted that interventions involving memory and social support have a positive impact on MiL in people with early stage dementia. This finding highlights the relevance of these interventions in improving the quality of life of this group of patients.
To access the abstracts of these presentations, please click here.
